By John Q. Hosedrinker 
During a recent CNN interview, White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller experienced a technical issue, causing a pause after he incorrectly stated the President’s “plenary authority” under Title 10. While CNN attributed the issue to a technical glitch, the pause raised eyebrows among viewers. Body language experts analyzed Miller’s nonverbal cues, noting signs of cognitive processing and potentially a moment of self-restraint. These experts suggested the pause could be attributed to cognitive overload, or a moment of deciding how to best bring his response back on track rather than a technical issue.
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Let’s delve into this fascinating “glitch” on CNN, a moment that has sparked considerable debate. The focus is on how body language experts are dissecting this seemingly innocuous pause by Stephen Miller, and whether it might reveal something more profound, perhaps even hinting at the “reptilian brain” in action.
The core of the issue revolves around Miller’s assertion about “plenary authority” – a loaded term implying the President’s absolute power. The subsequent silence, that awkward ten-second gap, is what has everyone talking. Was it a technical malfunction, as suggested? Or was something else at play? The theory gaining traction is that someone in his ear probably screamed at him to stop talking, realizing he’d crossed a line, or that he realized it on his own and went into freeze mode. This silence, this “glitch,” has provided a ripe area for speculation and analysis.
Now, the idea of body language experts stepping in to analyze this is where it gets really interesting, or rather, where skepticism often arises. It’s important to acknowledge the inherent limitations of body language analysis. It’s often considered a pseudoscience, with the “experts” often validating pre-existing biases with a veneer of scientific credibility. This is not to say there’s nothing to observe in body language, but it’s important to approach claims with caution.
The core argument is that the pause, the stillness, the look on his face, all point to a sudden, involuntary reaction to the words he uttered. It could be a moment of panic, a realization of having said too much. The pause itself might indicate that someone in the room reacted with panic. The use of the word “glitch” is a way to play it off as a technical error.
The focus on the “reptilian brain” is a metaphor, a shorthand way of describing the primal, instinctual part of the brain responsible for survival responses like the fight-or-flight or freeze response. Some have speculated that the incident triggered a deep, primal response in Miller. This isn’t about literal reptilian creatures, but rather about the basic human response of feeling fear and doing nothing.
This “glitch” is probably something much simpler than a Freudian slip. Miller, not known for being an expert speaker, likely misspoke, realized his mistake, and stopped to regroup. This is supported by the fact that the clip was subsequently edited to remove the error. The response from the anchor to apologize, is also a testament to the fact that a technical glitch wasn’t the cause of the problem.
The reactions to the “glitch” demonstrate how live television is delayed and edited. He was probably quiet, hoping the editor would crop out the mistake. Staying still can help with editing, especially when using transitional effects. This entire experience shows a production trick for editing.
Essentially, the “glitch” narrative is less about reptilian overlords and more about human error, the immediate reactions to a mistake, and the lengths to which people will go to protect themselves.